


Beauty and the Beast | Minicat AU

by Flammekaster



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Beauty and the Beast AU, Disney AU, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-07 17:24:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5464790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flammekaster/pseuds/Flammekaster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tyler, once a beautiful Prince, was turned into a hideous monster by a enchantress. His only chance returning to his normal self is to fall in love with someone who can give their love in return. But who could ever fall in love with a beast?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prequel

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everybody! This is something I've been thinking about writing, and was inspired when chloesimaginationthings on Tumblr drew them together. So this is for her, so yeh. This first part is just the prequel and the chapters will be longer, I promise.   
> Let me know what you think in the comments, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish and unkind. But then, one winter’s night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold.   
Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him, not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman’s ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress.  
The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen there was no love in his heart. And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there.  
Ashamed of his monstrous form, the Beast concealed himself inside his castle with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 21st year. If he could learn to love another and earn his love in return, by the time, the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken.   
If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.  
As the years past, he fell into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?


	2. Craig

On the outskirts of one of the kingdoms village was a small house, where Craig and his father lived. Every day he would wake up early to clean around the house and make breakfast for his father, before heading towards town to return a book he had borrowed from the bookstore the day before. It was a beautiful day. Birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and Craig walked on the small dirt road with a smile.  
“Little town, it’s a quiet village. Every day, like the one before” Craig thought as he walked the towards the village’s center. “Little town, full of little people, waking up to say…” and as his thoughts trailed off, he stopped to admire the village before it came to life.  
And just like that, the little village woke up. People began to open their windows and leaving their houses, greeting Craig and each other with smiles and “bonjour” as he walked past.  
“There goes the baker with his tray, like always, the same old bread and rolls to sell. Every morning just the same, since the day we came, to this poor provincial town.”  
“Good Morning Craig!”  
“Good morning, Monsieur,” Craig replied as he stopped outside the bakery.  
“And where are you off to, today?” the baker asked as he placed the tray down on the shop window.  
“The bookshop” Craig said as he pressed the book against his chest. “I just finished the most wonderful story. About a beanstalk and an ogre and a…”  
The baker cut him off. “That’s nice. Marie! The baguettes! Hurry up!”  
Craig shrugged his shoulders before leaving the baker to his store. As he walked down the street, he could hear the whispers behind his back.  
“Look there he goes, that boy is strange, no question,” one old Lady said to the other. “Dazed and distracted, can’t you tell?”  
“Never part of any crowd” another woman said.  
“’Cause his head’s up on some cloud,” the man said back.  
The whole town agreed. “No denying he’s a funny boy that Craig”.  
As Craig hitched a ride on the back of a carriage through town, he looked at the people buying and selling wares, arguing about the price or just making friendly chat. “There must be more than this provincial life!” he thought as he stepped off outside the bookseller.  
“Ah, Craig,” the bookseller greeted warmly as Craig opened the door and let himself in.  
“Good morning, sir. I’ve come to return the book I borrowed”, Craig picked up the book and gave it to the old man.  
"Finished already?” he asked with a smile as he put the book down on the window and turned to see him climb the ladder to a higher shelf of books.  
“Oh, I couldn’t put it down,” Craig smiled as he looked down at the old man. “Have you got anything new?”  
“Not since yesterday,” the bookseller laughed.  
“That’s alright,” said Craig as he looked through the titles. “I’ll borrow… this one!” Craig picked up a book, a story he always had adored. He handed it to the old man as he climbed down the ladder.  
“This one?” the bookseller handed the book back to Craig. “But you’ve read it twice!”  
“Well, it’s my favorite!” Craig sighted and got a dreamy look in his eyes as he clutched the book closer to his chest. “Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise…”  
Craig would’ve continued if not the old man had cut him off, “if you like it all that much, it’s yours!”  
Craig was stunned. “But sir…” he tried to protest.  
“I insist.”  
“Thank you” Craig thanked as he left the booksellers store. “Thank you very much!”  
The townspeople began to whisper again as soon as Craig came out on the street with his nose in the book. Not that he could hear them anymore, already far off in the adventure the story told off.  
“Look there he goes, that boy is so peculiar. I wonder if he’s feeling well”.  
“With a dreamy, far-off look, and his nose stuck in a book, what a puzzle to the rest of us is Craig”  
Craig’s mind was hazy with the lust of an adventure just like the one in the book.  
“Oh, isn’t this amazing,” he said as he clutched the book to his chest and sat down on the fountain in the middle of town. “It’s my favorite part because, you’ll see,” he turned his head and saw a sheep strand beside him. Why he showed the book to sheep’s, he didn’t know, but he wanted to talk about it to someone. “Here’s where she meets Prince Charming, but she won’t discover it’s him ‘til chapter three!”  
A woman in a nearby store looked at him while trying on different hats. “Now it’s no wonder that they call him ‘beauty’, his looks have got no parallel.  
“But behind that fair façade, I’m afraid he’s rather odd”, the shopkeeper replied as he gave her another hat.  
“Very different from the rest of us”  
“He’s nothing like the rest of us, yes different from the rest of us is Craig”.  
David ran across the town’s center, picking up the dead geese that his friend was shooting from the sky. However, instead of falling in the bag, as he had predicted, the dead animal fell beside it. Quickly, so nobody would notice, David stuffed it into the bag and ran back to its killer.  
“Wow, you didn’t miss a shot, Brock!” David said as he placed the bag beside him. “You’re the greatest hunter in the world!”  
“I know,” Brock said as he blew the smoke out of his rifle.  
“No Beast alive stands a chance against you, and no boys for the matter,” David said as he picked up the skins and bag of dead animals.  
“It’s true, David,” Brock said as he placed a strong arm around David’s small shoulders. “And I’ve got my sights set on that one”  
Brock pointed in direction of Craig, who was making his way through the crowd with his nose still in the book.  
“The inventor’s son?” David asked confused. .  
“He’s the one – the lucky boy I’m going to marry,” Brock let David go to the ground and stroked his hair back.  
“But he’s-“  
“The most beautiful boy in town,” Brock stared after him down the road.  
“I know but-“  
“That makes him the best. And don’t I deserve the best?” Brock gripped David’s shirt in his hands and lifted him off the ground.  
“Of course you do!” David stuttered and Brock let him down.  
“Right from the moment when I met him, saw him, I said he’s gorgeous and I fell” Brock began to stare at himself in the mirror as he continued. “Here in town there’s only he, who is beautiful as me”. As he turned to look at Craig, he noticed that he wasn’t in the same place he last saw him. His gaze ran wildly around until he found him leaving the town square. “So, I’m making plans to woo and marry Craig”. He set off after the boy, desperate to talk to him before he left the town.  
There was three siblings, triplets, standing beside a well and gazing longingly at Brock.  
“Look there, he goes, isn’t he dreamy?” they mutter as he walked past. “Monsieur Brock, oh he’s so cute. Be still, my heart, I’m hardly breathing. He’s such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute!”  
Craig walked through the mass off people, still reading the book. He looked around the masses, “there must be more than this provincial life!”  
Brock, however, was being held back by the masses and couldn’t get through “Just watch!” he said as he pushed past some people. “I’m going to make Craig my man!”  
People began to notice what’s going on in the masses. “Look there, he goes. The boy is strange but special. A most peculiar young man”.  
“It’s a pity and a sin.”  
“He doesn’t quite fit in.”  
“Cause he really is a funny boy. A beauty and a funny boy, he really is a funny boy that Craig!”  
As Craig walked closer to the edge of the village, Brock stopped him before he could reach the road. . “Hello, Craig” he said, hands sturdy on his hips.  
“Good day, Brock” he replied, not lifting his face from the page. Brock did not like having someone not looking at him, and picked up the book from Craig’s hands.  
“Brock,” Craig furrowed his eyebrows. “May I have my book, please?”  
“How can you read this?” Brock asked as he flipped through the book. “There’s no pictures”.  
“Well, some people use their imagination”, Craig replied and crossed his arms over his chest.  
“Craig, it’s about time you got your head out of these books and paid attention to more important things,” Brock threw the book over his shoulder into a puddle. “Like me. The whole town is talking about it. It’s not right for a man like you to read. Soon you’ll starts getting ideas and thinking...” He grimaced at the thought.  
“Brock, you are positively primeval”, Craig said as he picked up the dirty book. He tried to wipe away the mud from the cover.  
“Why, thank you, Craig” Brock said and fixed his collar. “What do you say, you and me, take a walk over to the tavern, and take a look at my trophies?”  
“Maybe some other time”, Craig said but struggled to get out of Brocks grip. “Please, Brock, I can’t. I have to get home to help my father. Good bye”.  
David, who had caught up with them, laughed. “That crazy old loon. He needs all the help he can get!” Both he and Brock burst out laughing.  
“Don’t talk about my father that way!” Craig said angrily.  
“Yeah, don’t talk about her father that way,” Brock knocked David in the head.  
“My father is not crazy. He’s a genius!” Just as he said that, something by his house exploded and smoke erupted from every window. With a gasp, he began to run home, leaving Brock and David gasping for air as they laughed.  
Craig could still see the smoke as he came closer to home, more of it leaving the cellar. He opened the cellar door and could hear his father cough. The smoke made it difficult to breathe and see in there, but he continued inside. “Papa?” he asked as he climbed down into the cellar.  
“How on earth did that happen?” Brian coughed as he stood up from the floor. “Doggone it!”  
Craig covered his face as he went to his father. “Are you alright papa?”  
“I’m… I’m about ready to give up on this hunk of junk!” Brian said and kicked into his latest project.  
“You always say that.” Now that the smoke had cleared, it was easier to breathe and Craig removed his hand.  
“I mean it this time,” Brian said angrily and pointed. “I’ll never get this boneheaded contraption to work!”  
“Yes you will,” Craig reassured his father. “And you’ll win first prize at the fair tomorrow”. When Brian scoffed, Craig leaned closer. “And become a world-famous inventor.”  
“You really believe that?” Brian looked up to his son with hopeful eyes.  
“I always have,” laughed Craig. That seemed to lighten his father up.  
“Well, what are we waiting for? I’ll have this thing fixed in no time! Hand me that… the dog-legged clincher there” he said as he climbed underneath the machine. “So, did you have a good time in town today?”  
“I got a new book,” Craig said as he picked up the tool Brian asked for and walked over to give it. His brows furrowed as he thought about something. “Papa, do you think I’m odd?”  
“My son? Odd?” Brian asked, as he wheeled out from the machine, his glasses made his eyes look gigantic. “Where would you get an idea like that?”  
“I don’t know,” Craig sighed. “It’s just that I’m not sure I fit in here. There’s no one I can really talk to.”  
“What about that Brock? He’s a handsome fella.”  
“He’s handsome alright” Craig scoffed. “And rude, and conceited and ... Papa, he’s not for me”.  
“Well, don’t you worry”, Brian said and climbed up from the floor. “Cause this invention’s gonna be the start of a new life for us. I think that’s done it. Now, let’s give it a try!”  
Brian pulled the lever, and the machine came alive. Smoke erupted from the top, and with some sounds leaving the machine, the axe that stood at the end began to hack away at the wooden log. It cut clean through and flew into place at the woodpile.  
“It works!” Craig said and smiled brightly  
“It does?” Brian asked before another log flew above his head. “It does!”  
“You did it!” Craig grinned and hugged his father. “You really did it!”  
“Hitch up Philippe, boy. I’m off to the fair!”


	3. The Magical Castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! I am really sorry for not posting this chapter earlier, but Christmas came and then New Years, and then school started again with a midterm and I just did not have time to write and edit this chapter. Anyways, here it is <3

Craig stood on the front porch of their house and waved to his father. “Goodbye, Papa! Good luck!”   
Brian waved back from where he sat on the house, “Goodbye, Craig. Take care while I’m gone!”   
Brian took off and started the on the long journey towards the fair. Over hills and bridges, through farmlands and forests. The sun was staring to go down, and Brian couldn’t figure out where they were. The trees surrounding him and Philippe were making it seem darker than it really was. The trees on each side of the road looked dead, and owls were hooting from hollowed three.   
“Maybe we missed a turn?” Brian looked at his map. “I guess I should’ve taken… Wait a minute”.   
At a crossroad in the middle of the road was signs pointing in different locations. As they got closer, Brian struggled to read the smudged signs. Even with the lantern in his hand, Brian struggled to understand what stood on the old piece of wood.   
Philippe looked around, before turning to the left and was about to walk forward when Brian pulled him to the right. “No, let’s go this way.”   
The road Brian led him to was filled with fog and big, dark, looming trees were hanging low and making it look gloomy and downright creepy. The road to the left, however, was just the same as the one they had taken to the crossroad. The trees were far apart, and it was lighter.   
Still Philippe tried to walk to the left, but Brian pulled his reigns to the right. “Come on, Philippe, it’s a shortcut. We’ll be there in no time”, Brian said and soon they were on their way down the dark and gloomy road. They had walked a while when they heard growling. Brian, who’ve had his face down in the map looked around with a frown. “This can’t be right. Where have you taken us Philippe?”   
The horse has stopped walking, and was slowly stepping backwards. His eyes and ears were moving in every direction, trying to figure out where the growls came from.   
“We better turn around,” Brian said. Philippe didn’t listen and continued shuffling backwards until the cart hit a tree with bats sleeping inside its hollow trunk.   
Annoyed that they had been woken, the bats flew out and swarmed Brian and Philippe, scaring them towards the edge of a cliff. Terrified, Phillippe bucked and threw Brian off his back. The lantern in his hand crashed to the ground and broke, scaring Philippe more and the horse took off into the forest, leaving Brian behind.   
Brian was left behind on the edge, scared of the howling wolves and had no clue where he was. “Philippe?” he called, hoping his horse would return to him.   
He slowly rose from the ground, and picked his hat up from where it had fallen when Brian fell of Philippe. He looked around, trying to find a way out of this forest. As soon as he heard growling, he looked up to see wolves on top of a hill, racing towards him. Brian jumped back, and began to run away from the feral beasts. He ran through the woods, and as he looked back he did not see that he was standing on top off a small hill and tripped.   
Brian groaned as he tumbled town, and landed with a thump on the ground. He could still hear them growling behind him, and looked up to see a big iron gate, his escape from the hungry beasts. He ran up to the gate and pulled. “Help! Is… is there someone there?”   
He could hear the wolves coming closer and closed his eyes getting ready to feel their sharp teeth bite into him. Instead, he felt the gate give away behind him, and he feel through it. He quickly kicked it close behind him, only to feel one of his feet caught by the wolves. Brian struggled to get free, but he kicked and trashed until the wolf let go of his shoe. He pulled away and got up, the wolves still snarling and growling by the gate as he stepped further away from it. As Brian turned, he was looking at an incredible sight.   
A mighty castle stood in front of him, with towers and spires as tall as the sky. A crack of lightning lit up the sky, and heavy drops of rain began to fall on Brian. He pulled the cloak over his head and ran towards the entrance of the castle. He knocked hard on the door, and it swung open without difficulties.   
Brian carefully peaked his head inside. When he saw no one there, he slowly squeezed inside and closed the door behind him. The hall was big and cold, a few candles lighting up the dark atmosphere.   
“Hello?” Brian asked, dripping wet and rubbing his hands together to keep warm. When he got no answer, he tried again. “Hello?”   
“Poor fellow must have lost his way in the woods”, a voice said.   
“Keep quiet. Maybe he’ll go away,” another voice barked back.   
Brian looked around, his wet clothes dripping on the dark carpet, “is someone there?”   
“Not a word, Jonathan. Not one word” the second voice talked again, seemingly scolding the first.   
“I don’t mean to intrude, but I’ve lost my horse and I need a place to stay for the night”, Brian said, looking around. There was nobody in sight, but he hoped there was someone in this castle who would help him.   
“Luke, have a hearth”, the first one begged the second. There was a shout of pain before the first one talked so loud Brian could hear. “Of course, monsieur, you are welcome here”.   
“Who said that?” Brian asked and picked up a candelabrum from a table standing beside him.   
“Over here”, the voice came from behind him, and Brian turned around.   
“Where?” he asked, because he couldn’t see anything.   
“Hello” the candelabra said. Brian looked up to see a face on the candle, and in his shock, Brian dropped him on the floor and lurched backwards. After coming off his shock, he leaned closer to the talking candelabrum, intrigued. “Incredible,” he said as he studied it.   
“Well now you’ve done it, Jonathan”, the clock standing beside the candelabra on the table jumped down from the table to Jonathan on the floor. “Splendid. Just peachy”.   
“How is this accomplished?” Brian asked and picked Luke up, making him shriek in the process.   
The living clock was not fond of being picked up. “Put me down at once”, he said and began to wriggle in his grasp as Brian began to twist and turn him around, as to find a source for his voice. He prodded at Luke’s feet, tickling him in the process. “Stop that! Stop that I say!” The giggling stopped when he was Brian turned him upside down and began to shake him, leaving gears flying out of the clock in the process.   
Jonathan laughed as the human began to turn the cogs on his face, making Luke’s face tighten up. He then opened the class door on his chest and was about to poke his finger in there when Luke had enough. “Sir, close that at once!” When Brian did not follow his orders, Luke shut it himself and got Brian’s finger stuck. “Do you mind?”   
“I beg your pardon,” Brian said as he waved his hand around trying to get rid of the pain. “It’s… It’s just that I’ve never seen a clock that…” His sentence trailed off as his nose began to itch and he sneezed all over Luke.   
“Oh, you are soaked to the bone, monsieur,” Jonathan remembered that Brian was in fact dripping on his Master’s carpet and shivering violently. “Come. Warm yourself by the fire”. He began to jump towards the end of the hall, where you could see the light of a fire.   
“Thank you,” Brian said with a nose stuffy.   
“No, no, no!” Luke said and ran after them. “You know what the Master will do if he finds him here. I demand that you stop right there!” In the end he had not succeeded, and was desperately trying to make the human turn around by grabbing the end of Brian’s cloak. However, he ended up falling down the stairs, more cogs and screws falling out as he hit each step on the way down.   
When he looked up from the floor, he was horrified at what he saw. “No, no. Not the Master’s chair”. Barking sounded from the hall and became louder as a footstool came jumping down the stairs.   
“I’m not seeing this. I’m not seeing this”, Luke covered his eyes with his hands and shook his head. Their Master is surely going to punish them after this.   
Jonathan had let Brian take their Master chair in front of the fire. The footstool, Arlan, had taken his place by Brian’s left hand and whined softly for attention.   
“Well, hello there boy.” Brian chuckled and petted the jumping footstool. Arlan barked softly before shuffling under Brian’s feet and stayed there. A coat stand pulled a warm blanket over his shoulders and packed him good inside it.   
“What service,” Brain smiled and cuddled deeper in the chair. The coat stand bowed and moved away.   
“All right. This has gone far enough. I’m in charge here…” Luke snapped before a cart drove over him, which was holding a teapot and a small porcelain cup, and stopped beside Brian.  
“How would you like a nice spot of tea, sir? It’ll warm you up in no time,” the teapot, Marcel, said as he filled up the teacup with smoking hot tea.   
“No. No tea. No tea!” Luke yelled from his spot on the floor.   
Brian picked up the small cup and was to take a sip when it started to laugh. “His mustache tickles, Papa”.   
Brian didn’t understand where the voice came from, before he remembered that mostly every piece of furniture talked and had a mind of their own. “Oh,” he said while laughing. “Hello”.   
The joy and laughed in the room died as soon as the doors broke open, and a cold wind swept through the room and killed the warm fire in the fireplace. The tiny porcelain cup hid behind his father, who was shaking with fear along with the others.   
A dark shadow spread across the room, and a gruesome beast came through the doors. He was slowly making his way down the stairs when he noticed a different scent.   
“There is a stranger here”, the beast growled, his wild blue eyes darting around before locking themselves on the chair.   
“Master, allow me to explain. The gentleman was lost in the woods,” Jonathan begged. “He was cold and wet, so…”   
A deep rumbling roar grew in the beast.   
“Master, I’d like to take this moment to say,” Luke peeked up from beneath the carpet. “I was against this from the start. It was all his fault. I tried to stop them. Would they listen to me? No, no…”   
The beast roared again and Luke hid.   
Brian, who hadn’t seen the Master, sat shaking in his chair, before turning his gaze to the left and came face to face with the beast.   
“Who are you?” the beast growled out. “What are you doing here?”   
Brian jumped out of the chair and onto the floor, trying to explain himself. “I… I… I was lost in the woods and…”   
“You are not welcome here!” the beast roared as he followed the poor old man with his massive body, scaring him half to death.   
“I… I’m… I’m sorry,” Brian stammered as he stepped backwards, his eyes never leaving the beast.   
“What are you staring at?” The Master demanded to know.   
“Nothing”.   
“So, you’ve come to stare at the Beast, have you?”   
Brian tried to run, but as soon as he turned, the Beast was there, growling at him. “Please, I meant no harm! I just needed a place to stay!”   
“I’ll give you a place to stay.” The beast took a hold of Brian’s shoulders and hauled him thought the castle.   
“No, no, please!” Brian begged as the beast pulled him deeper into the castle. “No, no!”


	4. Let him go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Its been like 9/10 months since I last updated this. I've been meaning to do it, but school got in the way, and then forgot it completly. Im terribly sorry about that, by the way.  
> Well, here is the next chapter. I will try to continue this as fast as I can, but school has been really stressing lately, as I am in my last year.  
> I hope you enjoy this, and I will see you all in the next chapter!

“Oh boy. Craig’s gonna get the surprise of his life, huh, Brock?” Davis asked while they hid in the bushes in front of Craig’s house.  
“Yup, this is his lucky day,” Brock replied cockily, and moved away to where the wedding were to happen. He cleared his throat to gather the attention of those who was working there.  
“I’d like to thank you all for coming to my wedding. First, I better go in there and propose to the boy,” he said and his audience laughed. “And you, David, now, when Craig and I come out that door…”  
“I know. I know. I strike up the band!” David said and pointed his conductor pin at the band and they began to play ‘here comes the bride’ loudly, until Brock pulled a tuba over David’s head to make him stop.  
“Not yet,” he said.  
“Sorry,” David apologized. 

Craig was sitting comfortable in his chair when he heard a knock on the door. Rather tempted to ignore the door and continue reading, he slowly stood up and placed the book on the table, reading a last page before walking towards the door.  
He pulled down a device his father had created long ago to see who was at his door. Craig sighed, as he looked straight into Brocks ‘charming’ smile and brown eyes. Rolling his eyes, he thought about letting him stand there when the door pulled open and Brock stepped inside without an invitation.  
“Brock,” he said, rather nervously. “What a pleasant surprise”.  
Brock walked deeper into the house just as if he owned it, with his hands deep in his pockets. “Isn’t it thought? I’m just full of surprises”.  
Craig stepped backwards, wanting space between them, but failing as Brock continued to move toward him. Soon they had almost left the entrance and into the living room. He placed his hand on the dresser, leaning forwards so he was right in Craig’s face.  
“You know, Craig, there’s not a boy in town who wouldn’t love to be in your shoes. This is the day…” Brock trailed off as he noticed a mirror right by him. Distracted by his own reflection, he gave it a grin, and noticed something stuck in his teeth. With a flick of his tongue, it was gone, and Brock smiled brightly again before setting his eyes on Craig.  
“This is the day your dreams come true,” he finished.  
As Brock reached out to take his hand, Craig moved behind the table in the middle of the living room. “What do you know about my dreams, Brock?” he asked.  
“Plenty. Here. Picture this,” Brock said as he fell down into the chair Craig left minutes ago. He put his dirty boots on the table; right on top the page Craig was reading. “A rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting on the fire and my little husband massaging my feet while the little ones play on the floor with the dogs. We’ll have six or seven.”  
While he was saying that, Brock pulled off his grimy boots, letting his dirty, sock clad feet on the table. Craig pulled a face as he blocked his nose of the horrid smell. “Dogs?” he asked, barely listening anymore. Brock stood from the seat, and Craig took it as a chance to take his book away from Brock.  
“No, Craig. Strapping boys like me”, he said and hit on his chest.  
“Imagine that,” Craig rolled his eyes as he put the books back in the shelf where it would be safe.  
“Do you know who that little husband will be?” Brock asked and Craig froze. “You, Craig.”  
Brock tried to pin Craig in the corner of the room, but he easily slipped under his arms.  
“Brock, I’m… I’m speechless”, Craig said as he pushed a rocking chair between them. “I really don’t know what to say”. He felt his back connect with the back door, and held a hand close to his chest.  
Brock came forwards with a confident look, pushed the chair away. His eyes held a predatory look as he stopped right in front of him, and placed his hands on either side of Craig’s head. “Say you’ll marry me”.  
“I’m very sorry, Brock, but...” as he spoke, Craig’s hand moved down to the doorknob. Brock was leaning down, puckering his lips as he tried to kiss him. “But I just don’t deserve you!” With that, Craig pulled the door open and slipped to the side, making Brock to fall forward into the muddy water outside. Craig quickly threw his boots outside, before closing and locking the door behind him.  
Outside the band was playing, not noticing that ‘the groom’ was lying in the middle of a small pond with the other groom missing. David was grinning like an idiot as he conducted the song, before looking behind him a noticing Brock in the mud. He stopped the music and ran to the edge of the pond to his master.  
The head of a pig stuck out of the water, before the rest of its body followed with Brock underneath it. He looked furious.  
“So, how’d it go?” David giggled and pushed a piece of hair out of Brocks face with his conductor pin.  
Brock grabbed David by his collar and stood up, choking the other. “I’ll have Craig for my husband. Make no mistakes about that.” He then pushed David into the pond and waddled out of it. He dragged a hand over his face and stomped away, furious of Craig’s rejection and then his humiliation.  
“Touchy,” David said to the pig. The pig snorted in agreement. 

A while later Craig opened the door and peaked his head out. “Is he gone?” He looked around for a bit before smiling and walking outside.  
“Can you imagine? He asked me to marry him,” Craig was ranting to the hens as he picked up a bucket of seed and began to spread it around for them to eat.  
“Me, the husband of that boorish, brainless… Monsieur Gaston. Can’t you see it?” Craig rolled his eyes as he entered the animal pin, “Monsieur Gaston, his little husband. No, sir, not me. I guarantee it. I want much more that this provincial life.”  
He made sure that all the animals had their dinner before exciting the animal pin and making his way towards the big field behind their house. The sun had barely began to set and the sky lit in orange, pink and blue. The valley looked breathtaking, and Craig stood in front of it taking it in.  
“I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell. And for once it might be grand, to have someone understand,” Craig sighed and picked up a dandelion. “I want so much more than they’ve got planned”.  
He was watching the seeds fly away when he heard a familiar neigh from the woods. As he looked over, he could see their family horse, Philippe, come running towards him in panic.  
“Phillipe!” Craig said and stood up from where he had sat down. “What are you doing here? Where is… Where is Papa?”  
Craig gripped Phillippe’s reigns to calm him down. “Where is he, Philippe? What happened?” Craig asked softly as he stroked the spooked horse’s muzzle. “Oh, we have to find him. You have to take me to him!”  
Craig loosened the carriage Philippe was pulling, and led the horse towards the house. If he were planning to save his father, he would have to get hos cloak and let Philip get back his stamina with some food.  
The ride was long and weary, but at last, they came in front of the big iron gate in front of the castle. Craig halted Philippe’s reigns and looked up at the gloomy sight.  
“What is this place?” he asked himself. Philippe were still nervous about going near the castle, as wolves had attacked his master and him earlier. He neighed and stomped his feet, his ears drawing back in discomfort.  
“Philippe, please, steady,” Craig cooed. He climbed off the horse to calm him further when he noticed his father’s hat. He ran through the gates and picked it up. “Papa,” he said before looking up at the castle. 

“Couldn’t keep quiet, could we? Just had to invite him and stay, didn’t we?” Luke was lecturing Jonathan after the incident with Brian. “Serve him tea; sit in the master’s chair. Pet the pooch”.  
“I was trying to be hospitable!” Jonathan explained.  
The two main doors to the castle opened, but they were too far away to notice.  
“Hello?” a small voice rang through the entrance. “Is anyone here? Hello?” Craig stepped further into the castle and towards the stairs leading up from the main hall. “Papa? Papa?”  
Craig looked around, trying to find another hint to where his father had disappeared, not knowing that someone was watching him. 

“Papa, there’s a boy in the castle!” Lui piped as he jumped towards Marcel.  
“Now, Lui, I’ll not have you making up such wild stories,” Marcel scolded and jumped down from the washing bucket.  
“Really, Papa, I saw him,” little Lui was trying to convince Marcel, but he would not listen.  
“Not another word. Into the tub.”  
Lui did not give up so easily, but before he could do anything, Marcel had already pushed him into the bucked of soap water.  
“A boy. I saw a boy in the castle,” Evan said joyfully as he walked into the kitchen.  
“See. I told you” Lui grinned from the bucket. 

“Irresponsible, devil-may-care, wax-eared, slack jawed…” Luke was going to continue his list of names when they could hear a voice calling out.  
“Papa?” the voice said and got closer to the clock and candelabra. They both turned in shock to see a boy with a dark blue cloak wandering the halls and shouting for his papa.  
“Did you see that?” Jonathan asked with a grin. Not even waiting for an answer, he jumped down from the table and ran to the doorway to watch where this boy was going.  
“It’s a boy!”  
Luke came running after him and leaned out of the doorframe, “I know it’s a boy”, he said and sat his hands at his hips.  
“Don’t you see? He is the one. The boy we have been waiting for. He has come to break the spell!” Jonathan grabbed Luke’s hand and pulled him into a dance.  
“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!” Luke said as Jonathan let go off him and wandered after the boy. He took off after them, not wanting to miss it. 

“Papa?” Craig asked, confused by the many doors that littered the hallway. He did not know where he was, and he still could not find his father. He was about to continue down the hall when a door opened behind him and the whirled around, but did not see anybody. Confused, he walked towards it, and saw a staircase leading up towards one of the towers.  
“Hello? Someone here?” he asked and walked towards the stairs. “Wait, I’m looking for my father. I…”  
As he ran up, Luke peaked up from behind the door, but Jonathan was nowhere in sight.  
Craig was terribly lost as he neared the last steps. “That’s funny. I’m sure there was someone…,” he muttered to himself. “Is anyone here?”  
The room he found himself in reminded him of a prison. Doors with big locks on them and small windows at the bottom with bars and the room had a dim light.  
A weak “Craig?” came from one of them.  
“Papa!” Craig ran towards the door where a pale hand was sticking out between the bars. Along the way, he grabbed one of the torches on the wall, bringing it with him to the door.  
“How did you find me?” Brian asked as he held on to Craig’s small hand.  
“Oh, your hands are like ice. We have to get you out of here,” Craig ignored his question and began to take care of his father.  
Brian coughed. “Craig, I want you to leave this place.”  
“Who’s done this to you?” Craig demanded to know.  
“No time to explain. You must go. Now!” Brian begged for his only son to leave him be in his cell.  
“I won’t leave you!” 

“What are you doing here?” A hand came down on his shoulder and pulled Craig away from the cell. The torch fell from his hands and into a puddle, killing his only source of light. Craig gasped as his fell against the wall and ended up sitting down in front of the cell door.  
“Run, Craig!” He could hear his father call out from behind the door, but he did not listen.  
“Who’s there?” He asked and looked around for the man who had grabbed him. “Who are you?”  
“The mater of this castle,” came a voice from the shadows, followed by a growl. His voice sent shivers down Craig’s spine, and he thought he saw someone moving in the darkness. His eyes squinted as he tried to get a closer look.  
“I’ve come for my father. Please let him out. Can’t you see he is sick?”  
The man growled. “Then he shouldn’t have trespassed here!”  
“But he could die. Please, I’ll do anything!” Craig begged.  
“There is nothing you can do. He’s my prisoner.” The man seemed to have turned away, as he was finished with the conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, Craig could see the end of a cape and the man moving away from them.  
“There must be some way I can…” Craig trailed off as he thought for anything to save his father. An idea grabbed him, and he called out. “Wait!”  
The man stopped moving, and rumbling from his throat told Craig that he was listening.  
Craig looked down on the floor, before leaning towards the small ray of moonlight that had managed to make their way into the prison.  
“Take me instead”.  
“You?” the man seemed to roll his eyes to the thought. There was a few seconds of silence. “You would take his place?” Unlike before, his voice had somewhat turned soft and confused instead of harsh yelling.  
“Craig, no!” Brian begged his only child. “You don’t know what you’re doing!”  
“If I did, would you let him go?” Craig had heard his father, but decided not to listen.  
“Yes,” the man was fast to answer. “But, you must promise to stay here. Forever.”  
Craig seemed to mull this over, before asking the man to come onto the light. A gasp left Craig’s lips as he saw his father’s jailer came into view. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and covered in thick fur, with a big snout and horns prodding from his forehead, just beneath a messy hairline. His blue eyes were cold and icy, piecing Craig’s very being with a glance.  
Craig covered his mouth to conceal his gasp. He wanted to take back his deal, but he could not. Not while his father was in the condition he was in.  
“No, Craig!” Brian moved his hands through the bars to grip his son’s shoulders. “I won’t let you do this!”  
Craig gave his father’s arm a soft squeeze, before stepping away from the door. He stood up, and walked towards the Beast.  
With closed eyes, he said clearly; “You have my word.”  
“Done,” the Beast walked past him to the cell door while Craig collapsed on his knees. He could hear the cell door unlock and his father’s steps towards him. . “No, Craig, listen to me. I’m old. I’ve lived my life,” he begged, but the Beast grabbed him by the cloak and dragged him towards the stairs.  
“Craig,” Brian shouted and reached his hands for his only son.  
“Wait,” Craig called and tried to grab his hand, but the Beast was too fast. Brian was dragged down the towed and through the main door, where he marched towards and old carriage.  
Brian begged the Beast to spare his son, but the Beast wouldn’t listen. He threw him in the carriage and ordered it to take him towards the village. The carriage, without a horse, marched towards the carriage with Brian, still begging it to stop and let him out, locked inside.  
Craig was watching it all from the window in the tower. Tears were streaming down his face as he watched his father leave the gates and into the woods. This could be the last time he would ever see his poor father. With that thought, he buried his head in his arms and let out a sob. He could hear the Beast coming up the stairs. He glanced up with a tear stricken face. “You didn’t even let me say goodbye!” he hiccupped. “I’ll never see him again.”  
Craig buried his face in his hand, muttering, “I didn’t get to say goodbye”.  
“I’ll show you to your room,” the beast said, and Craig glanced up, surprised at how soft his voice had become.  
“My room?” Craig asked. “But I thought…”  
“You wanna… You wanna stay in this tower?” The beast asked, some of his harsh tone coming back.  
“No,” Craig answered simply.  
“Then follow me.” 

Craig stood up, dusting the straw of his clothes, and followed the Beast down from the castle tower. He followed silently behind, and glanced curiously around the hallway. Horrid creatures such as dragons and snakes were decorating the hallway, making it seem scarier than ever. As he noticed how far the Beast has gotten ahead of him, he walked faster to catch up. He was terrified, and wished he could speak with his father once more.  
“I hope you like it here,” the Beast said as they walked. “The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere you like, except the west wing”.  
Craig was curious and had to ask, “What is in the west-“  
The Beast turned around and cut him off harshly, “It is forbidden!”  
Craig drew back and stared at him in shock, the echo of the Beast still ringing in the empty hall. The Beast let out a snarl before continuing to walk. Craig looked terrified as he followed behind, not wanting to upset him further.  
They came to a halt at a door in the corridor, where the Beast opened it up and let Craig inside. “Now, if you need anything, my servants will attend you.”  
Craig stepped in and looked around; it was huge with furniture’s of all kinds. This room had to belong to someone who had lived her before, he thought, as he took in the gigantic bed and wardrobe, some chairs and a window to the outside, where snowflakes were falling. He had his back turned to the beast who was still standing in the doorway.  
“You will join me for dinner. That’s not a request!” with that, the Beast shut the door with a loud noise, shaking Craig to the core. He turned around and placed his hand on it, but realizing that leaving would be a mistake. Instead, he ran towards the huge bed in the middle of the room, where he threw himself down and let the tears flow. There was no way he would be joining dinner later. No way.


	5. The Bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brock is down in the dumps after being rejected by Craig.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry.   
> I said that I would update it in a few days, but that turned into weeks that turned into months. But here it is, a bit shorter than usual, but I will try to finish this.

Back in the village, Brock sat by the fireplace and stared at it in anger. “Who does she think she is? That boy has tangled with the wrong man! No one says no to Brock!”   
“Darn right!” David agreed, as loyal as ever. He was carrying two tankards of beer towards their spot by the fire, hoping to cheer his friend up.   
“Dismissed. Rejected. Publicly humiliated!” Brock continued as he hadn’t been cut off by David. “Why it’s more than I can bear.” With one hand, Brock grabbed both of the tankards and threw them into the fire. 

David, who had been staring at his hands in wonder at the disappearing beers turned towards him a little hesitant. “More beer?”   
“What for? Northing helps.” Brock sunk down in his chair with a sigh. “I’m disgraced”.   
“Who, you? Never!” David assured and turned towards his friend. “Brock, you’ve got to pull yourself together!”   
“Gosh it disturbs me to see you, Brock, looking so down in the dumps”. Brock turned to him irritated, and punched David, causing him to fall into a table full of men. He didn’t seem that bothered by it, and continued. “Every guy here’d love to be you, Brock, even when taking you lumps!” The men at the table all cheered, but Brock grabbed his chair and turned away to stare into the fire.   
“There is no man in town as admired as you, you’re everyone’s favorite guy!” David had managed to sneak his head into the crook of his arm, cupping his jaw in his hand. He luckily moved out of the way very quickly, before Brock could hurt him more.   
“Everyone’s awed and inspired by you, and it’s not very hard to see why!” with a little struggle, David managed to turn Brock’s chair around to face the others in the bar. The triplets had gathered around his chair, all dreamy at the chance of being close to him. Brock simply turned away from them, not wanting the pitying (awed) looks.   
“No one’s slick as Brock. No one’s quick as Brock!” David had in the meantime moved across the room to a young man flirting with a woman. While the poor man wasn’t noticing, David managed to undo his belt and pulled it away from his pants, making them fall down. The woman had turned around to see who the stranger was, and began laughing at the poor man’s unfortunate situation. 

“No one’s neck’s as incredibly thick as Brock!” Somehow David managed to pull the belt around Brocks neck and tightened it. Brock looked annoyed as David left it be, and flexed his muscles that the tight belt ripped.   
“For there is no one in town half as manly!”   
“Perfect, a pure paragon! You can ask any Tom, Joe or Tony, and they’ll tell you whose side they prefer to be on!” David had placed himself at the table he had been laying on earlier, and annoyed the men sitting there. They all grabbed him and lifted him in the air, swinging him back and forth as they sang.   
“No one’s been like Brock, a kingpin like Brock! No one’s got a swell cleft in his chin like Gaston!” With that, David tickled Brock in the chin, before being pulled away by the men still swinging him back and forth.   
“As a specimen, yes, I’m intimidating!” Brock sang along with a grin. 

“My, what a guy that Gaston! Give five hurrahs. Give 12 hip-hips!”   
“Gaston is the best and the rest is all drips!” David, who had managed to get a new tankard of beer, spilled it all over Brock, who had stood up. Brock was staring angered down at David, before giving him another fist to the face.   
“No one fights like Brock! Douses lights like Gaston!” Brock threw himself over a table and pulled all of the men in a headlock. He then began to beat them all up to let out his pent-up frustration. “In a wrestling match nobody bites like Brock!”

“For there’s no man in town as burly and brawny!” the triplets praised before Gaston lifted up the bench the three of them had been sitting on. They all shrieked with joy as they were lifted in the air.   
“As you see, I’ve got biceps to spare!”   
“Not a bit of him scraggly or scrawny” David managed before Brock dropped the bench on top of him.   
“That’s right, and every last inch of me is covered with hair!” pulling open his shirt, he showed the public his upper body, covered in back curly hair.   
“No one hits like Brock! Matches wits like Brock! In a spitting match, nobody spits like Brock!”   
“I’m especially good at expectorating!” Brock boasted before spitting a piece of the leather belt he had ruined earlier, hitting a bottle, the chandelier, before it landed in the spittoon David held up. A table of men who had seen it, each held up signs with 10’s on them.   
“10 points for Brock!” They cheered. 

“When I was a lad I ate four dozen eggs every morning to help me get large,” Brock told as he juggled a basket of eggs. He then proceeded to swallow them whole, and continued “And now that I’m grown I eat five dozen eggs, so I’m roughly the size of a barge!” While singing, he flexed his muscles to everyone at the bar, smiling brilliantly afterwards.   
The crowd “ooh”-ed and “ahh”-ed before bellowing out in song. “No one shoots like Brock, Makes those beauts like Brock”   
“Then goes tromping around wearing boots like Brock!” David added as Brock stomped by him.   
“I use antlers in all of my decorating!” What Brock said was true. Since his whole house was filled with antlers and stuffed animal heads, the bar had begun to do so in his honor.   
“My, what a guy!” the crowd cheered and drank in his honor. Some of the men even lifted up his antler decorated chair to place him on the bear rug, where David had been resting. He wasn’t quick enough to get away, and was trapped underneath the chair as the men sat it down. Brock stood up to cheer with the men who was cheering on him, while David was still stuck under the heavy chair. 

The mood was quickly dampened as Brian entered the bar in panic. “Help! Someone help me!” he called out and tripped on his way into the bar.   
“Brian?” the barkeeper exclaimed. It caught the attention of the rest of the barkeep, who managed to spill both wine and beer all over the table.   
“Please, please! I need your help!” Brian proceeded to run around in the bar, grabbing the collars of several men as he yelled about someone having him locked up in a dungeon.   
“Who?” one of the men asked confused.   
“Craig!” Brian pressed his face close to the poor man as he explained. “We must go, not a minute to lose!”  
“Woah! Slow down, Brian!” Brock said calmly from his chair. “Who’s got Craig locked in a dungeon?”   
“A beast!” Brian yelled and made his way through the bar to reach Brock. “A monstrous Beast!”   
The bar was silent before the men began to laugh at poor Brian. He couldn’t understand that the men were mocking him as they asked about the beast who had captured Craig. He answered all their questions, and then begged them to help him.   
“Alright, old man,” Brock said calmly. “We’ll help you out”.   
“You will?” Brian asked, his face lighting up. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Some of the men grabbed him under the arm and helped Brian, out of the bar. They threw him out in the snow while laughing about “crazy, old, Brian”. However, Brock sat silently and thought for himself. 

“Crazy, old, Brian, huh”, he said, grinning to himself. “Crazy, old Brian. David, I’m afraid I’ve been thinking”   
David, still under the chair, replied, “a dangerous past time.   
“I know,” Brock said, before pulling David up from under the chair. “But that whacky old coot is Craig’s father. And his sanity’s only ‘so-so’. Now the wheels in my head have been turning. Since I looked at that loony, old man. See, I’ve promised myself I’d be married to Belle, and right now I’m evolving a plan!”   
The others in the bar quieted down as Brock whispered furiously in David’s ear. 

“If I …”   
“Yes?”   
“Then we …”   
“No! Would she …”   
“Guess!”   
“Now I get it!” 

“Let’s go!” Both of them exclaimed and fell into an awkward waltz position, where David, who was much taller than Brock had to bend down, while Brock was much wider and could crush David with a flex. They danced around in the bar while bursting out compliments for Brocks brilliant idea.   
“No one plots like Brock!”   
“Takes cheap shots like Brock!”   
“Plans to persecute harmless crackpots like Brock!”   
“And his marriage we soon will be celebrating. My, what a guy. Brock!” The other guests at the bar had lined up to that Brock and David together walked between them, just like the wedding Brock would have with Craig. 

Outside in the blizzard, Brian was wandering the streets. He was freezing, but his quest to find someone to help him get his only son back had failed. “Will no one help me?” he asked as he fell to the ground in exhaustion.


End file.
